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The London start-up OneWeb is preparing to launch the first six satellites of its multi-billion pound project to spread the Internet to the four corners of the world.
According to the plans, some 2,000 spacecraft could fly over.
Other companies also promise what are called mega-constellations, but OneWeb believes that it has a leading edge with an operational system.
The launch Wednesday of a Soyuz rocket from French Guiana is scheduled at 18:37 local time (21:37 GMT).
The controllers at OneWeb headquarters in the UK's capital will wait to receive signals from the spacecraft when they exit the Russian vehicle.
The most important task of the platforms is to secure the frequencies necessary to relay the Internet connections of the future network.
Assuming that these pathfinders work as expected, OneWeb will then begin mass deploying the rest of the constellation by the end of the year.
Thus, Soyuz rockets will launch each month by equipping up to 36 satellites at a time.
To provide global Internet coverage, 648 units in orbit will be required.
"We have a ton of spectrum and we have it all over the planet Earth," said Adrian Steckel, CEO of OneWeb.
"We will connect a large number of people who are not currently connected, we will start by focusing on connecting schools, boats, planes and connecting vast areas of the planet that make no sense. for fiber, "he told BBC News.
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ONEWEBB
The network will be 1200 km above the Earth and promises strong debris mitigation measures
Who supports OneWeb?
The company was created by US telecommunications entrepreneur Greg Wyler.
He had previously founded another constellation called O3b, which means "three billion extra", a reference to this half of the planet without connectivity.
O3b operates a fleet of 16 satellites moving around the equator at an altitude of 8,000 km.
OneWeb is Wyler's even bigger vision: a much denser network that flies over 1,200 km above the ground.
The proximity of satellites, their high throughput – more than one terabit per second in the constellation – and global coverage promise to transform the provision of the Internet for those who are currently underserved or simply not served.
That's at least the point of view of OneWeb's partners, including chip maker Qualcomm, the Virgin group of Sir Richard Branson, the beverage giant Coca-Cola, the satellite communications specialist Hughes and the financier Soft Tech.
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Getty Images
Connected cars: OneWeb seeks to develop the use of the internet by satellite
How big is the company?
Massif. Satellite technology is much, much cheaper than before, and the large number of satellites needed for the network reduces the unit cost.
Even in this case, the satellite launched by the partner of OneWeb, Airbus, costs about a million dollars.
When you add all the terrestrial infrastructure needed to run the system, total expenditures exceed $ 3 billion.
Some previous satellite companies that were looking to build large constellations went bankrupt. Satellite phone companies such as Iridium and Globalstar only exist today because a bankruptcy procedure has freed them of their debt.
Several other groups have shown interest in competing with OneWeb, including SpaceX company Elon Musk. Musk engineers even have some satellites in orbit to demonstrate their technologies.
Commentators seem convinced by one thing: the market will not support all the proposed mega-constellations.
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oneweb
Controllers from Virginia and London repeat launch day
What is the British angle here?
OneWeb is based in West London. They actually use offices vacated by the BBC. The company currently has about 70 employees and plans to increase this number to about 200.
The headquarters has a satellite control room, although this feature is also replicated in the United States.
Successive UK governments have tried to create a business and regulatory environment that encourages space companies to locate in Britain – and they have succeeded, says Steckel.
"We believe that the British Space Agency (UKSA) has done a fantastic job looking at what OneWeb could be a disruption factor in the satellite sector and in terms of extending use cases. (for our services), "he told BBC News.
"And they work with us, hand in hand, on the regulatory process, and they've been a big partisan."
The UKSA devotes significant sums to R & D on satellite telecommunications. To do this, he is a member of the European Space Agency.
Esa is developing new technologies that will enable European companies to remain globally competitive. And UKSA has just put 18 million pounds into a program that should benefit the latest generation of OneWeb satellites, especially for the way they interact and work alongside the land-based 5G mobile phone networks currently underway. ;instigation.
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ESA
Illustration: It is imperative that mega-constellations rapidly desorbit the redundant hardware
Is not the space already too crowded for this?
It's a hot topic. There are about 2,000 satellites in orbit, flying at different altitudes; and a slightly higher number of legacy spacecraft that have ceased operations.
If several mega-constellations are launched, it will significantly increase the population in orbit – and experts worry about the risk of collision.
A recent study – sponsored by the European Space Agency and backed by Airbus – revealed that new networks would have to deorb their old redundant spaceship by five years or risk a serious increase in the likelihood of objects getting collide.
OneWeb stated that it fully took this message into account. Indeed, the UKSA, as a license management body, worked closely with the company to ensure that its old equipment came out of the sky very quickly.
"All successful applicants for a license under the Outer Space Act must demonstrate that they adhere to established best practices for safe and sustainable operation," said one spokesman.
"This includes reliable disposal of end-of-life satellites, such as de-orbiting to minimize the risk of collision and the creation of space debris."
[email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
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